The collision happened around 160 nautical miles (296 km) off the coast of Shanghai.

Eight Chinese ships have been sent for the search and rescue operation, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.

South Korea has also sent a coast guard ship and a helicopter to aid the relief effort.

The tanker had been sailing to Daesan, South Korea from Kharg Island, Iran, according to Reuters ship tracking data.

It was carrying a $60m (£44m) cargo equivalent to slightly under a million barrels.

The Hong Kong-registered cargo ship, CF Crystal, was carrying 64,000 tonnes of grain from the US to Guangdong province in southern China. Its rescued crew are all Chinese nationals, the country’s transport ministry said.